(25 Jul 2001)

1. Li enters airport lounge
2. Plane
3. Lee surrounded by media
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Li Shaomin, Chinese-born US business professor convicted of spying in China "I'm so glad to be heading home and I'm looking forward to being reunited with my family. First of all I'd like to thank our government for its great help and support and secondly I'd like to thank all the friends and all the people who have helped me and supported me through this ordeal. And thirdly I'd like to thank all you guys, the media, press for your coverage and concern of my case, that's all."
5. Li walks away
6. Various airport departure signs
7. Li walking through gates
8. Plane

STORYLINE:

China has deported a Chinese-born U-S business professor convicted of spying in a case that has complicated an impending visit to China by U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Li Shaomin's expulsion came a day after a U-S-based Chinese sociologist and another Chinese-born U-S resident were sentenced to ten years in prison on spying charges.

Li, who was convicted on July 14, left Beijing on a flight to San Francisco on Wednesday.

Talking briefly to reporters during a stopover in Tokyo, Li said he was happy to be going home.

But Li said he didn't want to answer questions about his case or sentence.

The spying trials added to strains in U-S-Chinese relations just before Powell's planned arrival in Beijing on Saturday.

Both sides hope the visit will help to heal relations damaged by the April 1 collision of a U-S Navy surveillance plane and Chinese fighter jet.

Washington criticised the conviction on Tuesday of sociologist Gao Zhan, who was accused of helping Li.

A second Chinese-born U-S resident, Qin Guangguang, was also convicted of spying by the same court and given a ten-year prison term.

It wasn't clear whether he also was accused of helping Li.

Powell, talking to reporters at a meeting of Asian officials in Vietnam, said he was pleased to hear of Li's release.

"We're pleased that these cases are being resolved," said Powell, who has given high priority to human rights in China.

Regarding relations with Beijing, Powell emphasised that the Bush administration "remains engaged and this is a priority."

China has released little information about Li's case, but the government said it had a "large amount of confirmed evidence" that he spied for Taiwan and compromised Chinese security.

Gao, who was detained on February 11, was accused of giving Li sensitive information.

According to her lawyers, Gao denied she was a spy.

They said she gave Li academic material as part of normal scholarly exchanges.

American officials say as many as 30 U-S citizens or permanent residents are being held in China on a variety of charges.

Powell will be the most senior Bush administration official to visit Beijing.

On Monday, Powell used unusually strong language to discuss China's human rights record.

Apparently referring to Li and Gao, he said it wasn't enough to settle occasional cases that attract world attention.

China has tried to minimise the political impact of the spying cases.

Its ambassador to the United States, Yang Jiechi, said on Tuesday in Washington that "some things should not be built up way out of proportion."

Li, who taught business at the City University of Hong Kong, was detained on February 25 and later charged with spying for Taiwan.

Beijing regards the island, which has been ruled separately since 1949, as a renegade province, and the two sides actively spy on each other.









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